ZERO (Complete)

Chapter Two

"There's no time to explain, you just have to trust me. Our best chance for survival is to split up into smaller groups and hide."

From the distance, the headlights of what appeared to be one oncoming vehicle sped toward the group. Upon closer inspection, there were two other large vans trailing behind. The small convoy of vehicles approached hastily and came to a stop. The vans were slower, but eventually caught up and pulled into position.

A dozen armed men in full combat gear exited the vehicles and surrounded the bus. Establishing a perimeter, several men entered the bus with their guns raised high. There were a handful of people who had rejected Mr. Camouflage's warning and remained behind.

"Who are you?" one of the old ladies on the bus asked.

Without hesitation, one of the men aimed his weapon and shot her in the head, killing her instantly. A hailstorm of gunshots could be heard in the distance. Each gunshot echoed throughout the forest, sending bone-chilling shivers up the spines of the group. They knew each blast meant one of their former bus mates was being killed. Dane and his small crew stopped momentarily, but were encouraged to continue.

"What the hell is going on?" Dane demanded. "Were those gunshots?"

"Yes, but we need to keep moving or else we're going to be next," Cam insisted, trudging through the dense forest. "It'll be dark soon, we need to get as far away from here as possible."

"I don't know if I can carry on," someone from the group said.

"Fine, stay here and die, but I strongly suggest we stick together," Mr. Camo said.

"I think I'm having a panic attack," Dane said. "I can't breathe."

"Look, Dane," a man in the group said. "I want to know what the hell is going on just as badly as you do, okay? But right now, I much rather live another day and see my son. There'll be a time and a place to ask questions. For now, I suggest we listen to this gentlemen over here and keep moving."

Dane let out a huff before setting off again to catch up with the rest of the pack.

The heightened anxiety gave them all a boost of adrenaline, which helped push their bodies to their limits and continue on for as long as possible.

Making their way through the forest and uneven terrain wasn't easy to begin with. Now with the sun setting lower on the horizon, less light penetrated the dense trees making it increasingly more difficult to see. A night chill set in, testing their resolve and inducing even more of a panic state. The naïve ones of the group were quickly realizing that they would sleep outside in the cold unforgiving night.

"Hey, Mr. Camouflage," a pretty woman said, gasping for breath. "I need to stop."

"Yeah, I'm with her," another one from the group said. "I'm not sure how much further I can go on. We've been on the move for several hours and I'm pretty sure my feet are covered in blisters."

The group came to an agreement to settle in for the night before the sun completely set. They found a clearing amongst the trees, which appeared to be as good a spot as any.

One of the men from the group took charge and said, "Can you two gather as many little sticks as you can find?" He then turned to two ladies. "We need to find long, slender sticks, preferably without any branches."

Dane took inventory of the group. "Hey, wait, we're missing someone," he said, looking around. "There was nine of us. Who's missing?"

"The girl," one of the group members said. "The quiet girl."

"What was her name?"

"She didn't say."

"She hasn't said anything."